Operation snap data 913/2023
FOI Reference: 913/2023
Request:
A.
Please provide a full breakdown of all data held for Dyfed Powys Operation Snap in 2022 to include the following:
- Total number of submissions received.
- The total number of submissions that were actually reviewed.
- The total number of submissions that led to no action.
- The total number of submissions that led to positive action.
- The total number of submissions that led to formal Warning Advisory letters.
- The total number of submissions that led to a conditional offer of a diversionary course.
- The total number of submissions that led to conditional fixed penalty notices (FPNs).
- The total number of submissions that proceeded to court.
B.
Please provide the data requested in each of A1 to A8 above but filtered specifically to those submissions made only by cyclists.
C.
Please also provide the details requested in A for each of the following calendar years:
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2023 – up to the latest month available
D.
Please provide a sample illustration of an advisory-warning letter that a registered keeper receives in response to a complaint of a close pass of a cyclist.
Please detail how long this warning record is kept against the registered keeper. (Does the reviewer check for previous offences for the offending registration?
How are repeat offenders who receive advisory-warning letters tracked?)
D.
Please provide data that compares Dyfed Powys Police's submission review performance with other UK police forces' performance.
( I.e. a comparison of results of A1 to A8 ).
Response:
Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section 1(1) (a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at Section 1(1) (b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held.
Where exemptions are relied upon Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires Dyfed Powys Police, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which: (a) states that fact, (b) specifies the exemption in question and (c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information you have requested. However, we are withholding the whole of the requested information since we consider that the Section 12(1) exemption the Cost of Compliance exceeds the Appropriate Limit applies to it.
Section 12 (1) – The cost of compliance exceeds the Appropriate Limit
Section 12(1) states: “…Section 1 (1) does not oblige a public authority to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit.”
The cost of providing you with the information requested in respect of your request is above the amount to which we are legally required to respond i.e. the cost of locating and retrieving the information exceeds the “appropriate level” as stated in the Freedom of Information (Fees and Appropriate Limit) Regulations 2004. It is estimated that it would exceed 18 hours (i.e. minimum of 147.7 hours) to comply with this part of your request. The regulations can be located @ www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2004/3244
The Freedom of Information department has been advised that some of the information in respect of your request is not held in an easily retrievable format. Due to a change in police recording systems the data recorded after May 12th 2023 is not easily retrievable at this time, until further data modelling can be completed. In light of this and in order to accurately obtain the information relative to your request for the time frame stipulated it would involve Dyfed Powys Police accessing and reviewing every file received by the relevant department, each record would have to be manually reviewed to ascertain the information you are requesting in questions 6, 7 & 8.
It has been established that there are a total of 2211 files after 12/05/2023. It has also been established that it would take a minimum of 4 minutes to review and obtain the information for a file in respect of your request (as outlined above). The process outlined results in the below time estimate.
2211 files x 4 minutes = 147.7 hours
Time estimate to complete task = 147.7 hours
In accordance therefore with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a Refusal Notice for the Whole of this request under Section 17(5) A public authority which, in relation to any request for information, is relying on a claim that section 12 or section 14 applies must, within the time for complying with section 1(1), give the applicant a notice stating that fact.
You may wish to refine and resubmit your request so that it reduces the time shown above to fall within the 18 hours, should you require any further advice in relation to this matter please don’t hesitate to contact the Freedom of Information Unit. Please also be advised that should the request be refined, it does not remove the public authorities right to cite exemptions if relevant.
Although excess cost removes the forces obligations under the Freedom of Information Act to provide any further information, as a gesture of goodwill, I have provided information, relative to question 1 of your request which has been easily retrievable and outlined below. I trust this is helpful, but it does not affect our legal right to rely on the fees regulations for the remainder of your request.
I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold some of the information requested, as outlined below.
Response 1-5
|
|
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
Total submissions |
22 |
421 |
375 |
330 |
619 |
832 |
866 |
|
No further action |
6 |
189 |
126 |
103 |
203 |
232 |
257 |
|
Positive Action |
10 |
185 |
230 |
217 |
318 |
451 |
470 |
|
Warning letters |
6 |
47 |
19 |
10 |
98 |
149 |
139 |
Response B
|
Total Closepass with cyclist |
0 |
146 |
31 |
20 |
37 |
119 |
229 |
Please note that we are unable to determine how many submitters are cyclists themselves, so we have supplied information on how many offences were dealt with as Close Pass with cyclist.
Response C
|
Course offers |
Conditional Offers (FPN) |
Proceeded to Court |
|||||
|
2017 |
13 |
2017 |
30 |
2017 |
41 |
||
|
2018 |
11 |
2018 |
37 |
2018 |
66 |
||
|
2019 |
38 |
2019 |
29 |
2019 |
94 |
||
|
2020 |
17 |
2020 |
14 |
2020 |
49 |
||
|
2021 |
133 |
2021 |
46 |
2021 |
89 |
||
|
2022 |
235 |
2022 |
56 |
2022 |
132 |
||
Response D
Please see attached a sample illustration of an advisory-warning letter that a registered keeper receives in response to a complaint of a close pass of a cyclist.
Please be advised that the warning record is kept in compliance with MOPI Policies of DPP.
Please note that the police collect information that is required for policing purposes. Policing purposes provide the legal basis for the collection, recording, evaluation, sharing and retention of information and may include one, or a combination, of the following:
- protecting life and property
- preserving order
- preventing the commission of offences
- bringing offenders to justice
- any duty or responsibility arising from common or statute law
Repeat offenders who receive advisory-warning letters are tracked by way of the Police having legitimate access to DVLA records of vehicle keepers and if appropriate Sec 1 Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 process will be considered.
Please note that the FOI Department have been advised that DPP do not hold data that compares Dyfed Powys Police's submission review performance with other UK police forces' performance.
It should be noted that as a result of the systems adopted by Dyfed-Powys Police in relation to the recording of such information that the information released may or may not be accurate.
(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 18/04/2024)